1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to ceramic articles, semiconductor wafer processing apparatuses incorporating ceramic articles, semiconductor wafer processing, and methods for forming ceramic articles.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many industries, it is generally desirable to provide components having certain requisite thermal, mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. Particularly in the area of semiconductor processing, certain properties can be of marked importance in the successful processing of semiconductor wafers to form active semiconductor devices with high yield rates. In connection with semiconductor processing, it is well understood that various processes take place to form active semiconductor components, such as logic devices and memory devices contained within individual ceramic die of a processed semiconductor wafer. Such processing operations include implant and diffusion, photolithography, film deposition, planarization, test, and assembly (packaging). In connection with the foregoing general processing operations in the semiconductor industry, processing operations such as photolithography typically utilize selected gaseous reactants that are employed to remove material from the semiconductor wafer. Such processes may be utilized to remove selected portions of a deposited layer (such as in photolithography), the entirety of a deposited layer, or to generally clean a wafer or work piece. A certain species of these processes include what is known as etching.
Etching processes typically employ fairly highly reactive gas species, many times relying upon halogen species gases. An ongoing problem in the semiconductor wafer processing industry is implementation of semiconductor processing tools that have adequate chemical resistance to such species, particularly at elevated temperatures. In this regard, it has been found that components used in certain semiconductor processing tools, such as etch chambers, tend to corrode causing increases in particle counts during processing. As is well understood in the art, it is typically desirable to minimize generation of particles in such controlled environments, as particles negatively impact semiconductor yield.
Accordingly, in view of the foregoing, it is generally desirable to provide improved ceramic components having corrosion resistance, which may find particular use in the semiconductor industry, as well as improved semiconductor processing apparatuses, methods for processing wafers, and methods for processing ceramic components.